Key Fund Grant Programme
DVSC was awarded £2,133,867 by Denbighshire County Council to deliver a package of support to third sector organisations to improve their resilience and sustainability from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF).
Launched on 1st September 2023, the DVSC Key Fund offered strategic grants for investments which would boost the sustainability and resilience of third sector organisations across Denbighshire. Impact from this element of the package of support was assessed using baseline and follow-up evaluations to help us fully understand the local need and helpfulness of a grant.
Overview
- £1,252,164 distributed over three rounds.
- A panel of 11 local volunteers ensured fair distribution.
- 41% of recipients were entirely volunteer led.
- 72% had annual incomes under £100,000.
- 82% reported cost and time savings as a result of the grant.
- 22 of the grants were awarded for capital improvements including infrastructure, equipment, and building upgrades.
- Case studies showed gains in service capacity and efficiency.
Volunteer-led groups
Volunteer-led groups showed more diverse income sources. This graph shows the spread of organisation income sources for groups led by paid staff versus groups led by volunteers:
Lessons Learned
- Pre-application support provided by DVSC improved the group’s ability to access the grant.
- Free training led to tangible improvements in service delivery and impact reporting.
We are incredibly grateful to Denbighshire County Council for enabling us to be part of the delivery of SPF monies, which made a very real difference to the people of Denbighshire.
